Police say that a bomb threat was called in to the Walmart in Torrington on Monday. Police cleared the shopping center for a few hours before clearing employees and shoppers to return around 8 p.m.
John Berry - Register Citizen

Torrington and Connecticut State Police direct traffic out of the Walmart parking lot after a bomb threat was called in to the store.John Berry - Register Citizen

TORRINGTON >> A man called Walmart Monday night and said several bombs would be detonated inside and around the store in the Torrington Fair Shopping Center if a ransom was not paid, police Lt. Bruce Whiteley said.

The call came in to the store around 5:10 p.m. and was reported to police, who evacuated Walmart and the surrounding stores in the shopping center at the corner of Torringford and East Main streets. Emergency personnel and state troopers with explosive detection dogs searched the building and vehicles located within the parking lot. Whiteley said nothing was found. As the search was going on, a police negotiator spoke with the caller.

Police shut down the parking lot and streets in the area while the search was conducted. Officers on the scene said that some employees of the stores remained in the parking lot, but all customers and employees were told to leave the stores.

The stores were given the “all clear” to reopen around 8 p.m., Whiteley said.

There were no reported injuries during the incident. Whiteley said the amount of money and method of payment requested by the suspect “will not be disclosed at this time.”

He said detectives are “following up on several leads.”

Anyone with information can contact Torrington police at 860-489-2090 or the 24-hour anonymous tip line at 860-489-2065.

The Torrington Fire Department and Torringford Volunteer Fire Department, along with Campion Ambulance responded to the scene along with city and state police.

The shopping center also includes PriceChopper grocery store, McDonald’s, Petco and a vacant store that was most recently a seasonal Halloween store.